Frugal fun

Leaporlepor

I just thought it would be interesting to see what people did for fun and how they ensure that their hobbies don't cost the earth.

PasturesNew

I've spent a lifetime having "watching telly" as my hobby. That's fun and cheap.

Steve059

You don't want to know.

amancalledmartin

I do a lot of knitting and always try to pick up odds and ends of wool from car boots, ebay and charity shops, etc. But for bigger projects you need the wool to match usually, so that can prove expensive. It doesn't always pay to knit your own clothes like it used to! Otherwise I read a lot, and pick up books for pennies in jumble sales, etc.
Good thread - thank you for starting it. I look forward to seeing what everyone else gets up to!

sonastin

I'm afraid I have expensive hobbies... so I follow the OS & MSE ways to be able to afford them.

RAS

It depends where you live.

Start by joining the local library and make sure the books go back on time.

Even if you live in a city check out parks, waterways and other green areas for things to forage and work out what you can make with them - right now the red prunus is in flower near me and the blackthorn will be soon. Make a map so you can find them again.

Then think about what you can recycle/re-purpose:

Tin cans into tealight holders (you need a large nail or a punch, a pice of wood to support the can and a hammer or even a brick with which to whack the punch or make cut wings and a reflector with the upper part of the tin).
Aluminium cans into meths burners,
Glass jars into tealight holders or for HM preserves.
Larch cones and twigs into wreathes etc

In the country there will be more walks, possibly wild swimming, more to forage, possibly fleece off bushes to felt.

On the coast look for attractive sticks and shells amongst the storm debris. One teen I met made very pretty bracelets from orange or red winkle shells using a tiny burr. Crabbing, fishing off the rocks, rockpool safaris?

Or learn to sing? Costs very little and can give great joy to yourself and others.

VJsmum

walking, cycling, reading

TEsco vouchers for days out - theme parks, museums etc
National trust membership for free days out (once membership is paid)
Picnics

System

I chuck things out.

*niptuckfan*

well i have a no spend hobby which is dog walking, and a expensive hobby of snowboarding....balances out i suppose

madmary_2

I love reading and listening to audiobooks. My library now lends books for reading or llstening on mobile devices so that's rather cheap given that I have a phone and an ipad through work.

I love walking although I don't get much time to do this.

TV, surfing the net, drinking cheap wine and cooking.

For me getting into cooking and baking has had a wonderful effect on my otherwise drab life. We have to eat, most of us want to eat as cheaply as possible and if you've got no money then cooking inventive cheap and delicious food as a hobby is a very effective use of time, and is fun even when stuff doesn't turn out quite right.

I also love computer games but I can't afford this much these days although I have enough games that I like to revisit and I now trade in games and only buy one if I really want it.

Mary

mishmogs

Like other posters, I knit, read and crochet. Am presently doing some extreme crocheting using torn up old sheets to make some cushions for my outside wooden dining chairs! I also garden but unfortunately, there are not many people near me who like doing this so I cannot swop plants with anyone

I also walk a lot and have just got my cycle out of the garage for the first time this year, so it must be warmer!

I also forage and cook a lot and am trying to cook more cheaper meals by reducing meat content. Life's a challenge.